TOP 10 USEFUL ESSENTIAL OILS FOR WORKING FROM HOME

IN ESSENCE...

• As more and more employees find themselves working from home while embracing stay at home or shelter in place orders, Essential Oils can become a precious resource to those seeking better productivity, creativity, motivation, self-confidence, and overall well-being.
• One of the primary benefits of remote working is the power to transform your home workspace to meet your own unique therapeutic needs and preferences. Choosing Essential Oils with desired properties can help personalize your home office or workstation without needing to be covert or violating fragrance-free policies that apply to in-office working.
• Essential Oils useful in enhancing one's energy, focus, drive, and levels of alertness include Peppermint Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, and Lemon Essential Oil. These oils can help overcome procrastination and distractions as well as boost one's memory and concentration.
• Essential oils useful in supporting rest, recovery, and emotional balance include Melissa Leaf Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, and Marjoram Essential Oil (Sweet). These oils can help with relaxing after work, separating work life from home life, and coping with stress or burnout.

INTRODUCTION

As more and more workplaces instigate social distancing policies, many of us have transitioned into a new remote working lifestyle. Checking in on virtual meetings, keeping the children occupied, dealing with continuous distractions, and the blurring of home and work life have now become a challenging new norm. Working from home has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, but telecommuting while embracing self-isolation or shelter in place orders can add on a tough new dimension. Job priorities and overall roles may also have evolved, adding to work stress and uncertainty.

Essential Oils can be valuable in addressing the common issues associated with remote working while helping us stay positive and productive. By providing relief to both mental and bodily stress or discomfort, they have now become a precious strength to many, allowing individuals to successfully manage growing workloads while caring for their mental health.

Read on to discover the must-have Essential Oils reputed to help individuals stay focused, productive, and energized during work-at-home mornings and afternoons, while keeping calm, relaxed, and refreshed once the work day ends!

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR WORKING FROM HOME

One of the many advantages of working from home is the ability to transform your workspace however you wish. By taking advantage of this opportunity to personalize your home and workstation according to your own scent preferences and preferred therapeutic properties, you can actually benefit from improved happiness, productivity, and overall well-being during this time.

Here are some key ways Essential Oils can help you work from home:

Essential Oils with emotionally grounding qualities are ideal for setting a positive tone in the morning to gear up for a productive and stress-free workday. Examples include: Turmeric, Clary Sage, Sandalwood, Melissa Leaf, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Cedarwood, and Patchouli Essential Oils.

Essential Oils with mentally clarifying effects are ideal for coping with distractions to better concentrate on work tasks. Examples include Rosemary, Lemon, Peppermint, Grapefruit, and Basil Essential Oils.

Essential Oils with stimulating or refreshing qualities are ideal for overcoming a lack of motivation or drive due to a disorderly or distracting home environment. Examples include: Ginger Root, Lemon, Peppermint, and Pepper Black Essential Oils.

Essential Oils with calming or soothing qualities are ideal for unwinding after a tough day, helping to separate work life from home life. Examples include: Clary Sage, Melissa Leaf, Lavender, Chamomile Roman, and Bergamot Essential Oils.

Essential Oils with sedative or comforting qualities are ideal for incorporating into your bedtime routine, helping to slough off negative energies for a restful night of sleep. Examples include: Marjoram Sweet, Lavender, Melissa Leaf, and Vetiver Essential Oils.

TOP 10 ESSENTIAL OILS FOR WORK FROM HOME PRODUCTIVITY (AND HOW TO USE THEM)

The list below contains a selection of Essential Oils that are particularly known for their energizing, focus-enhancing, and uplifting properties - in addition to those that are known for their more restorative, relaxing, and emotionally balancing properties - all of which can be immensely helpful in optimizing productivity and efficiency while working from home.

The guidelines provided for diffusing can be modified according to the size of your diffuser and your preferences. The aromatic benefits of most Essential Oils can also be gained by inhaling directly from the bottle, although care must be taken with oils that have very strong, intense scents. For those who prefer very subtle aromas, try adding a few drops of your desired oil onto a cotton ball inside a small bowl or plate and place on top of your home office desk.

1. Peppermint Essential Oil

   Inhaling the aroma of Peppermint Essential Oil can rapidly stimulate and boost one's energy without increasing nervous tension. This cognitive effect is linked to its main constituent, Menthol, which is highly cooling and invigorating. Peppermint Oil is also often diffused in study environments due to its reputation as a potent learning and memory aid. In a highly distracting or noisy home environment, it can work to enhance one's energy levels, improve focus, help with recall, elevate mood, and have an ultimate positive impact on one's work productivity.

   Peppermint Essential Oil is wonderful in general for overall health and well-being, with strong analgesic, expectorant, antispasmodic, and carminative properties. Due to its cooling qualities, it can provide relief for muscular tension as well as headaches and migraines. Its energizing qualities can also quickly alleviate feelings of fatigue or lethargy, helping to address issues such as a high workload or burnout.

   How to use: To help with levels of alertness and create a focused ambiance at home, diffuse 4-5 drops of Peppermint Oil. To eliminate distractions, blend 2 drops each of Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Lemon Oil before diffusing. To combat physical and mental fatigue, pour 3 tsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil into the cupped palm of your hand followed by 1-2 drops of Peppermint Oil. Massage gently onto your temples, forehead, neck, and any other area of tension (avoiding the eyes, inner ears, or other sensitive areas). Repeat as often as needed.

2. Rosemary Essential Oil (ct Cineole)

   With a refreshingly spicy aroma, Rosemary Essential Oil has become increasingly popular due to innovative studies that appear to show a strong ability to improve cognition, memory, and performance. There are two basic varieties of Rosemary; the first is Rosemary Oil - ct Cineole and the second is Rosemary - ct Camphor. The first, which has higher proportions of the phytochemical 1,8-Cineole is preferred for those looking to improve productivity.

   When diffused, Rosemary Oil powerfully stimulates the senses, sharpening one's focus and aiding memory retention; for this reason, it can be particularly beneficial for virtual work meetings or teleconferences where remembering important details is critical.

   How to use: To help maximize concentration and focus, diffuse 3 drops each of Rosemary Oil, Grapefruit Oil, and Lime Oil for about half an hour. Alternatively, pour 1 tsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil into the cupped palm of your hand followed by 1 drop of Rosemary Oil. Rub your palms together before holding it in front of your nose and take in a few deep breaths.

3. Lemon Essential Oil

   A vibrant and invigorating citrus oil, Lemon Essential Oil can be valuable for those who are having trouble focusing or feeling productive at home. Not only does this uplifting oil help eliminate household odors and cleanse the air, it is also rich in the constituent Limonene, which is known to elevate mood and reduce anxiety. Lemon Oil can be used aromatically to boost one's energy, reduce mental fogginess in the morning, enhance mental clarity, reduce procrastination, and also put forth a positive, cheerful attitude. The energizing properties of Lemon is also a wonderful tool for preparing a room for physical activity. Engaging in regular exercise in the comfort of your own home can, in turn, elevate one's mood and well-being for work.

   How to use: To help create a bright and radiant workspace with added energy and focus-enhancing benefits, diffuse 5-8 drops of Lemon Oil. To create a deodorizing room spray that also helps with productivity, add 40 drops of Lemon Oil, 40 drops of Lime Oil, 20 drops of Petitgrain Oil, 20 drops of Frankincense Oil to a 120 mL (4 fl. oz.) glass spray bottle and top up with Distilled Water. Tightly close the bottle and shake vigorously before spraying into the air.

4. Clary Sage Essential Oil

   Often nicknamed 'the Woman's Oil', Clary Sage Essential Oil is widely reputed for its ability to modulate the endocrine system and its abnormalities. It is chiefly known as a mood balancer, especially for emotional imbalances caused by hormonal dysfunction. For those undergoing feelings of distress due to working from home or are missing the stimulation from interacting with coworkers in person, Clary Sage Oil can be helpful in enhancing one's emotional resilience while dispelling negative thoughts and feelings. For those having trouble partitioning work life from personal life during these times, inhaling the pleasantly soothing aroma of Clary Sage after work can help unwind the mind and prepare it for rest and reparation.

   In aromatherapy, Clary Sage Oil is used to soothe menstrual pain, address insomnia, and reduce stress, lethargy, and anxiety. It is also used to help inspire gratitude, hope, and positivity while enhancing one's sense of spirituality.

   How to use: To help balance a chaotic mood, diffuse 3 drops of Clary Sage Oil, 2 drops of Orange Oil, 2 drops of Ginger Oil, and 1 drop of Bergamot. To relax after a stressful day, mix 10 drops of Clary Sage Oil with 10 drops of Polysorbate 20 before adding to your bathwater. To help with insomnia, diffuse 3-4 drops in your bedroom right before going to sleep.

   Tip: Although Clary Sage is often talked about in the context of benefits for women, men can also reap the wonderful aromatic benefits of this oil. For instance, it is reputed to alleviate anxiety, uplift mood, and boost libido in men.

5. Ginger Root Essential Oil

   Working from home can sometimes derail one's self-confidence and motivation, especially during the initial transition stage. Work roles may now be muddy or unclear and communication may be temporarily stifled. For those who are dealing with these challenges, Ginger Root Essential Oil may help. With a fresh, spicy, warming scent, Ginger Root Essential Oil is traditionally used to alleviate a lack of motivation as well as other issues related to emotional dysfunction and drive. It can also soothe the respiratory system, ease pain, alleviate nausea, and increase hope and self-reliance.

   How to use: To help instill confidence and a sense of empowerment while working from home, diffuse 3 drops Ginger Root Oil along with 2 drops each of Bergamot Oil and Lemon Oil. Alternatively, pour 1 tsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil into the cupped palm of your hand followed by 1-3 drops of Ginger Oil. Rub palms together and hold in front of the nose before deeply inhaling.

6. Melissa Leaf Essential Oil

   Also known as Lemon Balm, Melissa Leaf Essential Oil exudes a beautifully sweet citrus scent that is soothing, lively, and emotionally grounding. In aromatherapy, it is popular for addressing mental ailments, especially for hyperactivity, anger, sadness, and panic. Emotionally, Melissa Leaf Essential Oil functions as a harmonizer, working to replenish a sense of calmness and stability when things get too overwhelming. These therapeutic qualities make it the ideal oil to incorporate into particularly exhausting or stressful workdays.

   Melissa Leaf Essential Oil is also popular for its sedative and uplifting properties, and can be used in blends to promote peaceful sleep.

   How to use: To help balance frazzled emotions and reduce stress, diffuse 4-5 drops of Melissa Leaf Oil. This can also be done at night as a sleep aid. To unwind after work with a rejuvenating bath, mix 10 drops of Clary Sage Oil with 10 drops of Polysorbate 20 before adding to your bathwater.

7. Pepper Black Essential Oil

   With a pleasantly strong, sharp, and lingering aroma, Pepper Black Essential Oil is wonderful at boosting stamina while inducing a feeling of renewal. In addition to making you feel more alert, this spicy oil is also known to elevate mood, promote circulation, ease digestion, clear respiratory airways, and provide relief to sore, painful muscles. A few drops of Pepper Black can go a long way in helping to feel more motivated, focus in the midst of distractions, and meet work deadlines. Many also find its warming scent to be comforting or reassuring during anxious times.

   How to use: To help get through an afternoon slump, diffuse 3 drops of Black Pepper Oil along with 2 drops of Peppermint Oil. For a quick pick-me-up, pour 3 tsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil into the cupped palm of your hand followed by 1-2 drops of Black Pepper Oil before rubbing onto the temples and back of the neck. This can be especially energizing before a high-performance meeting or online presentation. To help relax aching or strained muscles, mix 4-5 drops of Black Pepper Oil with 30 mL (2 tbsp) of a Carrier Oil. Apply and massage onto affected areas.

8. Turmeric Essential Oil

   A protective and regenerative oil with a warm, earthy fragrance and a yellowish hue, Turmeric Essential Oil is ideal for times when work stress and anxieties can build up. It is reported to boost positive energy while remedying negative feelings and blockages such as headaches and lethargy. Interestingly, Turmerones, which form the main constituent in Turmeric oil has been implicated in recent neuroscience research addressing disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It is important to note that this does not mean that Turmeric Oil can cure or heal the symptoms of these medical conditions.

   Turmeric Oil's high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can also help support physical recovery and resilience.

   How to use: To help stay grounded on a stressful day, simply diffuse 2-3 drops of Turmeric Oil. To help alleviate physical aches and pains, add 3-5 drops of Turmeric Oil to 1 tbsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil and massage gently onto tender areas. To help melt away worries, tension, and headaches, a scalp massage with Turmeric Oil is recommended. Mix 3 drops of Turmeric Oil in 4 tbsp. of Coconut or Neem Carrier Oil and apply to the scalp and hair roots. Using your fingertips, massage at a pressure that feels comfortable to you. Leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing hair as normal.

   Tip: Turmeric Essential Oil can sometimes stain fingers, bowls, clothes, hair, and skin. This staining typically fades with time and frequent washing.

9. Jasmine Grandiflorum Absolute

   Jasmine Grandiflorum's potent, intoxicating fragrance is also calming, poetic, romantic, and a well-reputed aphrodisiac. It is believed to be soothing without causing sedation, and can, therefore, be a valuable oil for unwinding and de-stressing, helping to separate work life from home life. In aromatherapy, Jasmine is also known to enhance creativity, alter perspectives, and promote open-mindedness, which can be a helpful tool for those who have to engage in daily problem-solving or logical thinking as part of their job role.

   Unlike conventional Essential Oils, Jasmine oils are produced via solvent extraction as the tiny white flowers are too delicate to withstand the pressure and rigor of steam distillation. For this reason, Jasmine Grandiflorum is known as an Absolute Oil rather than an Essential Oil. Compared to Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Grandiflorum's fragrance can be sweeter, more floral, and less musky.

   How to use: To relax and take your mind off work, mix 10 drops of Jasmine Grandiflorum Absolute with 10 drops of Polysorbate 20 before adding to your bathwater. To help promote creative thinking or supplement a brainstorming session, diffuse 4-5 drops.

   Tip: For sensual or romantic purposes, use Jasmine Grandiflorum 3%, which is diluted in Jojoba Carrier Oil. Dab a few drops of this dilution on the neck, chest, wrist, and inner elbows to use as a seductive, feminine fragrance.

10. Marjoram Essential Oil (Sweet)

    If trouble sleeping is affecting your work-from-home productivity, try incorporating Marjoram Oil into your essential oil night-time ritual. Marjoram Sweet exudes a soft, spicy, herbal fragrance that is effective at melting away the tension that can keep you up at night. Aromatherapists note that the oil is capable of desensitizing oneself to the environment, thereby inducing sleep and relaxation. Indeed, this effect is thought to be so strong that Marjoram Sweet is classed as an 'anaphrodisiac' that dampens one's libido. It is also used to ease tension in the head that can manifest as headaches and migraines and is also reputed to soothe colds and stuffy noses as well as menstrual pain.

    How to use: For a simple insomnia remedy, blend 3 drops of Marjoram Sweet Oil with 3 drops of Lavender Oil and diffuse before bedtime. To alleviate mental tensions due to headaches, migraines, or worry, pour 1 tsp. of a preferred Carrier Oil into the cupped palm of your hand followed by 3-4 drops of Marjoram Sweet Oil. Massage gently onto your temples, forehead, and any other area of tension (avoiding the eyes, inner ears, or other sensitive areas). Repeat as often as needed.

SUGGESTED SYNERGY BLENDS FOR WORKING FROM HOME

For those who would prefer pre-blended essential oils, the following NDA Synergy Blends are recommended:

Invigorating Synergy Blend: consists of Rosemary, Juniper Berry, Lemongrass, Nutmeg, Fir Balsam, Pepper Black, and Lemon essential oils. Ideal for diffusing in a home office environment to enhance alertness and improve mood.

Mental Clarity Synergy Blend: consists of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Basil, and Lemon essential oils. Useful for better focus, concentration, and productivity.

Head Ease Synergy Blend: consists of Peppermint, Basil Sweet, Rosemary, Chamomile, Wintergreen, Frankincense, Lavender, and Marjoram Sweet essential oils. Useful to alleviate mental tension, headaches, and migraines.

Tranquil Synergy Blend: consists of Lavender, Mandarin, Geranium, Marjoram Sweet, Frankincense, Palmarosa, and Ylang Ylang essential oils. It helps promote a peaceful, comforting ambiance that is conducive to sleep.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Discover our top essential oils to support sleep through relaxing massages.

Check out our top essential oils to inspire hope and help with emotional healing.

Not sure which carrier oil to choose? Have a look at our in-depth breakdown on the different types of carrier oils.

Interested in learning how to make your own creative essential oil blends? See our step-by-step guide to aromatic and therapeutic blending.

USING ESSENTIAL OILS SAFELY

It is important to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of these essential oils while using them safely and responsibly. This includes never using them undiluted, performing a skin patch test prior to use, being knowledgeable about the sun's effects after use, and sourcing them from an ethical brand known for quality and purity.

External use only

As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, essential oils are for external use only. Essential oils must never be used near the eyes, inner nose, and ears, or on any other particularly sensitive areas of skin. It is imperative to consult a medical practitioner before using these oils for therapeutic purposes.

Pregnancy and other health conditions

Pregnant and nursing women are especially advised not to use essential oils without the medical advice of a physician.

Those with the following health conditions are especially recommended to consult the advice of a physician: cancer, heart-related ailments, skin disorders or allergies, hormone-related ailments, or epilepsy.

Individuals that are taking prescription drugs, undergoing major surgery, or who are at a greater risk of experiencing strokes, heart attacks, or atherosclerosis are also advised to seek medical consultation prior to use.

Children and safety

These oils should always be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children, especially those under the age of seven.

Photosensitive essential oils

Certain Essential Oils, including Lemon Essential Oil, Lime Essential Oil, and Grapefruit Essential Oil can increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun. Avoid exposing topically applied areas to sunlight for at least 24 hours after application.

How to conduct a skin patch test

Prior to using any essential oil, a skin test is recommended. This can be done by diluting 1 drop of the essential oil in 4 drops of carrier oil and applying a dime-size amount of this blend to a small area of non-sensitive skin.

Essential oil side effects

Potential side effects of essential oils include redness, rash, hives, burning, bleeding disorders, decreased speed of healing, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, convulsions, and rapid heartbeat. In the event of an allergic reaction, discontinue use of the products and see a doctor, pharmacist, or allergist immediately for a health assessment and appropriate remedial action. To prevent side effects, consult with a medical professional prior to use.